weight loss pill

The new weight loss pillQsymia may have started off with slow sales, but it has started to see those numbers rise. Prescriptions filled for the recently approved weight loss drug have climbed to about 2,000 prescriptions per week.

Qsymia was the first weight loss drug approved by the FDA in 13 years when it got the OK this summer. It was approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or more – categorizing them as obese – and for those with a BMI of 27 or more who have been diagnosed with at least one obesity-related illness, such as high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes. The pill, which went on sale this past September, was made to suppress the appetite and cause weight loss – as much as 10 percent body fat – for obese individuals. It’s combined with phentermine and topiramate, which are two different drugs made to suppress the appetite and give more of a full feeling in the stomach. Qsymia is prescribed to be combined with regular exercise and a healthy, calorie reduced diet. Whether it’s a miracle drug or a disaster varies from person to person. Read Full Post >

While we’re weary to promote any kind of ‘quick fix’ weight loss pill, the “Take Five to Live Light” campaign is something we’re a little more willing to get behind.

The campaign is part of a study that’s investigating a new weight loss drug called Contrave, which has been in development for the last several years.

Contrave is a combination of two medications – naltrexone and bupropion – which have long-been prescribed to patients to aid weight loss. While the two haven’t been found dangerous on their own, the study is seeking to confirm that pairing the two won’t have any adverse affects on patients.

Steven R. Smith, M.D., scientific director of the Florida Hospital, believes that most people can’t achieve long term weight loss through diet and exercise alone, saying “the Light Study is an important clinical research study evaluating the cardiovascular health outcomes of Contrave, which is designed to reduce appetite, increase metabolism, and control cravings and overeating behaviors.” Read Full Post >

Today on the Dr. Oz Show, a discussion of how the pleasure center in our brain responds to certain foods, and a new ‘silver bullet’ weight loss pill that claims to help fight cravings.

Dr. Oz will discuss what happens in our mind when we’re experiencing a craving, as well as how our brain responds when we’re eating the foods we love, describing it as an ‘orgasmic, fireworks’ experience. The danger of experiencing these mountain-top food moments, explains Dr. Oz, is that they make you feel good and then you want to eat a little more.

That’s where the new weight loss drug comes in, which he’s referring to as the ‘silver bullet.’

With this drug, says Dr. Oz, everything is changed. Instead of fireworks when eating something you love, you get this smoldering sense of enjoyment. The food doesn’t taste bad, it’s just not as exciting, so it eliminates that ‘gotta have it’ craving and helps you eat less. Read Full Post >

With the obesity epidemic on a collision course with no stop in sight, the FDA and drug developers are feeling the pressure to approve and develop weight loss drugs at a fast clip. Qnexa could be approved by the FDA by April but some people are wondering how this could happen when it was initially rejected by the FDA advisory committee a couple years ago.

Qnexa, which is a combination drug of phentermine and topiramate, was initially brought to the FDA advisory committee’s attention in 2010. The committee basically told the drug maker Vivus to go back to the drawing board and give them more concrete data about the phentermine portion of Qnexa would not lead to cardiac events like heart attacks even with its side effect of increased blood pressure. The committee also wanted a plan in place to prevent women of childbearing age from being exposed to topiramate’s birth defect potential if they became pregnant while on Qnexa.

GNC recently signed a contract to exclusively market a new diet supplement called pAGG in its 1900 stores. PAGG is an acronym for its ingredients policosanol, alpha-lipoic acid, decaffeinated green tea, aged garlic extract and biotin. So is this the next weight loss miracle supplement? This supplement was recently discussed in the New York Times Bestseller The 4-Hour Body and its supplier NewHealth Solutions says to look no further for a fast and effective way to lose weight. I say let’s take a closer look.

It’s hard to know where to begin on this one. I see a lot of red flags. Policosanol is a mixture of fatty alcohol most commonly made from sugar cane wax. This product has been extensively studied in Cuba and is used there as a cure for almost anything. Policosanol is indicated for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Not only have many trials shown that policosanol does not significantly decrease cholesterol levels but that it also could increase the risk of bleeding, specifically from the gums or nose. Fish oils may be a better alternative to achieve healthy cholesterol levels.

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